LA council wants update on probe of Jackson costs

LOS ANGELES 
Los Angeles City Council members want a report from the city attorney on his investigation into recovering the $3.2 million the city spent on services related to the Michael Jackson tribute concert last July from the owner of the Staples Center arena.

The council's Public Safety Committee voted Monday to ask City Attorney Carmen Trutanich to appear at the council's Friday meeting to give an update on the probe of entertainment giant AEG Live.

However, Assistant City Attorney Peter Echeverria, who attended the committee meeting, told the panel that Trutanich may not be able to comment on the possibly criminal investigation.

The issue also arose at the council's Budget and Finance Committee on Monday, where Councilman Bernard Parks said he wanted to know what charges could be levied against AEG.

At the public safety meeting, Councilwoman Jan Perry said she would like to resume discussions with AEG for a "donation" to help cover the $2 million in police overtime and the $1.2 million for sanitation, road closures and related expenses. She said she had been talking with AEG about such a donation last summer when Trutanich announced the investigation and the talks collapsed.

"I do not expect AEG to do anything while the threat of criminal prosecution is hanging over their head," she said.

AEG gave a $900,000 donation to help cover similar costs for the Los Angeles Lakers' NBA championship victory parade earlier this year.

The cost of the Jackson event became politicized last July when the police department deployed nearly 4,000 officers to patrol an expected crowd of 1 million people. But after only about 20,000 people turned out, 3,500 officers were sent home.

The city council in September adopted an ordinance calling for the city to be reimbursed for such extraordinary expenses for special events.